A Sacramento school is making a trip to the dentist easier for students.

Harmon Johnson Elementary offers a virtual dental home, where a dental hygienist takes X-rays and an off-site dentist has access to review the students' records.

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"We found that (with a) set of activities, we can keep two-thirds of the children healthy at the school, only about a third have disease advanced enough they would need to physically go see a dentist," Dr. Paul Glassman with The University of the Pacific said. He is a professor of dentistry and director of the Pacific Center for Special Care.

Glassman and his team developed the program six years ago as part of a study targeting more than a dozen communities showing the greatest need. Nearly all the students at Harmon Johnson are eligible for Medi-Cal.

"We have children in California who are now graduating from elementary school, who have never had dental care up to that point," Glassman said.

"When you have dental problems, and your teeth hurt, when you have a toothache, it's really hard to concentrate on your education," Harmon Johnson Elementary Principal David Nevarez said.

Nevarez said he's seen successes with offering free dental care in school.

"I'm proud to say we have one of the highest, if not the highest attendance rate, in the district for a school of high needs like this," he said.

Getting the issue checked out often becomes challenging for busy families.

"If I'm making an appointment or going to the dentist, I'm missing my work and he's missing class," parent Alma Negrete said.

Lawmakers are considering a bill to expand the program statewide. Oregon, Hawaii and Colorado are testing the program now.